Finished Blocks/Craftsy BOM

Ok, now that I ranted about the cost of new fabric, here are a couple of blocks made out of my stash. This is from the Mod Girls collection (Sis Boom-Jennifer Paganelli). I bought a bunch of fat quarters at Hancocks a few years back when I went to Paducah the first time....wow, what an experience! Anyway I had to laugh 20 fat quarters for 14.99!  These are the blocks for January and my first slashed blocks. I am happy with how they turned out and am moving on to the Feb blocks. So many great projects to quilt along with out there right now. Have a great Thursday!

$12.99/yd Really????

Wow, have you been out fabric shopping, stash building lately?

Two weeks ago a friend and I went to a couple of premium quilt shops for a Pajama day sale (you know the sales where we dress up in PJ's and look silly to get the discount and have fun while the guys are worrying about the biggest TV for the biggest football game). Anyway we had so much fun and the sales were 20% and 30% off.

In one store all the bolts of fabric were marked 11.95/yd with 30% off. Another store they were 8.99 to 9.99/yd with 20% off. I had seen up to 10.95/yd before but was shocked at the increase (in every bolt of fabric even though most of it was not brand new) to 11.95. And I was thanking my lucky stars for all that stash I have--bought at lower prices. But then today rolled around.....

I went to the local JoAnns to pick up a new rotary cutter blade and stopped by to look at the Denyse Schmidt fabric I had been wanting. It was on sale at 25% off of 9.99/yd. Pretty standard over the last few months... But then I spied some new Denyse Schmidt fabric - a grey and an orange line and I thought great I will just pick up a little of each....well it was marked 12.99/yard! Really--$12.99 at JoAnns??? Now I suppose that sounds snobby, and I know that cotton has gone up and thus fabric is more expensive, and I know everyone has to make a profit to stay in business but really $12.99/yard? Last year fabric was 8.99 going up to 9.99.  I am sorry but I it will have to be something pretty special for me to pay that. What are your thoughts on this? Are the prices the same in your area?  Do you buy fabric at JoAnns, or specialty quilt shops or on line?  Or all at all 3?

Still Here!

So sorry, life has been hectic here. I am pretty sure most of you can relate on some level. The holidays, work, family, and very little sewing right now - but very good intentions, and knowing that January is right around the corner and most likely will have time to sit down and create all those projects!

Until then.....here's what has been happening

The tree is up, the house decorated and a beautiful light snow was falling Saturday, looking very peaceful

A beautiful red Poinsettia (getting a good watering so I don't kill it before Christmas :)

 and cute little snowman napkins

And the opposite of peaceful-----a bit of stressing to get the Christmas cards out, the presents wrapped and figuring out who I have missed....

Are you ready for Christmas?

And a fun piece of pretty blue flannel with hats and ice skates just waiting to be made into a pair of PJ bottoms!

But here is the real reason we celebrate....

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick hello and wishes for all to have a Happy Thanksgiving! If you are reading this outside of the US then I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

In thoughts of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so much, not that I have the perfect life, but it suits me and I find it is the little things that make life good. My family, my friends, my dog, a home, a job, a car, food on the table, laughter around the table.....the basics and then some. I wish all of you that.

And as for quilting, well I have joined a block of the month (BOM). Both on line and at the brick and mortar store. I have never done BOM before but figured how hard could it be to get one or two blocks completed every month? Very different choices, one civil war, one modern. Today I will show you Block 1 of the General's Wives BOM which is authentic reproduction civil war fabric. This BOM is from Caroline's Cottage Cottons in Rome City, Indiana. Great little store, with friendly, knowledgable service!  So for me this block  is a nod to Thanksgivng and all those that have come before us.

Made of flying geese and HST blocks. Although I would have never picked out these fabric's, they do work together. And I love stars, I have never made a star quilt, so this looks like it will be my first. Hmm, all those points, I will be good at it by the time it is finished!

Thanks for stopping by! Next post I will show you my Modern BOM blocks.

Lost and Found

I am so happy! Have you ever lost something and thought it was gone for good? Something that was meaningful to you, that got you through a rough patch? Well, that is my story today. I took a class on a raw edge applique and started to create a quilt, it took time to decide the color placement, the shading of each block....and it was finally complete except for the binding. Then came the move. Friends came and helped me pack, and boxes went to storage. Then when I moved into my current home, all the boxes came home and over the past year I have unpacked, and sifted through what to keep and what to let go. But I never found that quilt. I looked and looked and after a year had pretty much gave up. I gave it one last shot and in the very last box, marked "bath" under a couple sets of bath towels, there it was was! What was lost was found!

So now it is a UFO! I put the binding on last weekend and now just have to hand stitch it down on the back. Stay tuned for the final, full on pics.  I named it "Out of the Dark" as I reversed the color scheme and have the darker blocks behind the bright flowers vs the orignial placement whe the darker blocks were the outer border. It is made of many different batik's. This was a class by  Linda K. Johnson and Jane K. Wells -- the Crafty Ol' Broads from Ft Wayne In to give due credit.

It makes me smile :)   Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday...going with the flow; and Baked Spaghetti

It was one of those days....not much went the way I had planned. It is the busy season at work, right before the begining of the year. But we managed to take a co-worker to lunch for her Birthday, and it was a nice break. We had Mexican and it was yummy! I thought I would get home and do a little sewing but that didn't happen either. Some days you just have to go with the flow, but gosh it can be hard!

 Somedays when I go into my sewing room and look at my UFO's and all my new fabric (I have been busy stash building lately :) So many projects planned in my head. It just seems I am so far behind! Behind what? I am not quite sure, some preconceived idea I have of what I should be able to complete I guess. Do you ever do that, set a deadline that really is only of consequence to you? Its not all bad, and it always feels good to cross a project off the list, but sometimes, well sometimes we really don't need the extra pressure and stress.....step back, take a deep breath and go with the flow. Sewing/quilting/crafting is supposed to be relaxing, enjoyable and not induce craziness!




So here is a pic of my sewing table, waiting patiently for me to return....such a good friend.

Meanwhile, I have a great recipe to share. I had a block party last weekend to mark the end of the summer/fall season and start of short days, long nights and yes....winter. We had snow on Friday. So I invited all the neighbors and had a Pot Luck (Carry In) and a few adult beverages. I made Baked Spaghetti. It was sooo good! The recipe is from the Food Network and by Paula Dean. It was a hit!
Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny

A little bit of inspiration

Here is a new member of the family! Isn't he sweet!? He is my son's new puppy.

His name is Marley and he is 15 wks old.

How could I resist?

Isn't it just perfect! So fun too! I was able to pick this great fabric up from Hawthorne Threads and Cotton Blossom Farms. It is Pooches and Pickups by Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufmann. Both stores have a great selection of so many different kinds of fabric, it is hard to choose! And they are so nice to work with.This wasn't the only fabric on my orders, I did a little bit of stash building with some of their sale fabrics, so hard to resist a SALE!!   Hmmm, I feel a Christmas quilt coming...now to pick a pattern...what are you working on for Christmas?